Chapter 14: Morning After

Maya woke up with her head on Zer0's bare chest. She looked up at him with a loving smile and kissed his chest lightly. She sat up and stretched. She felt Zer0's arms wrap around her chest and her head leaned back as he kissed her neck. "Good morning." She sighed in pleasure. "Good morning to you too." Zer0 replied between each kiss.

"Last night was amazing."

"I'm glad I was able to make your first time… special."

She rolled over and laid on top of Zer0 and kissed him. "It was very special." Maya whispered. "I love you Zer0." Zer0 smiled and replied "I love you too." Maya got up from the bed and started getting dressed. She threw her underwear on and looked to Zer0, who was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Is something wrong?" She questioned. Zer0 smiled and laughed "It's just D3m0n barking about how he's going to kill you and make me suffer and blah blah blah."

"Sounds like the usual stuff."

"Yeah. Now he's complaining about me ignoring him. Sounds like a baby right now."

Maya smiled and put the rest of her clothes on. Zer0 pulled his boxers up and Maya proclaimed "I'm going to start making breakfast." Zer0 smiled and responded "Okay. I'll be down in a second." Maya walked out and headed down stairs into the kitchen. She started making coffee when Lilith walked in.

"Good morning Lilith." Maya greeted. "Morning to you too." Lilith replied. "Did you have fun last night?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Lilith gave a smirk that basically said "Yeah right." She exclaimed "Are you sure? Because you and Zer0 definitely sounded like you were having fun." Maya felt her cheeks burn and muttered "Were we that loud?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone heard you two last night. I'm honestly a little jealous."

Maya grabbed two mugs and poured coffee into them. "So how was he?" Lilith questioned. Maya put the coffee pot back and responded "What do you mean?"

"You know… how was he? In bed."

"He's… amazing. It was my first time, but he was just so gentle with me."

"Wait, you're a virgin?"

"Was a virgin. Zer0 sorta took my innocence last night."

"Wow. I guess that explains the volume last night."

"All these questions are a little uncomfortable for me. I'm going back upstairs."

"Okay. Try to keep it down this time."

Maya rolled her eyes and brought the mugs upstairs. She was about to round the corner to the third floor where everyone lived when she heard Gaige's voice. "Morning Zer0." She greeted. Maya heard Zer0 respond "Morning Gaige."

"Heard you having fun last night."

"Yeah, about that."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"About what? Getting it on with Maya? I really don't see why you have to apologize for that."

"I'm talking about before I left, about… using you."

"Zer0."

"Gaige I'm sorry about leading you on like that. I really shouldn't have done that. I should have been straight forward with you. I just… I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's okay Zer0. I know it was to protect Maya. You are a great guy Zer0, treat her right. We can still be friends."

"I'd like that."

Maya went around the corner as Gaige walked by. Maya handed Zer0 a cup and asked "What was that about?" Zer0 held the mug and replied "Just apologizing to Gaige." He lifted his helmet up and took a drink. Maya took Zer0's hand and brought him downstairs where everyone else sat.

Maya felt a little awkward since everyone gave her and Zer0 a "We know what you two were doing last night" look. "Good morning everyone." Zer0 proclaimed as he took a seat at the table. "GOOD MORNING NUMBER MAN!" Krieg bellowed. "I have a few questions for you." Axton questioned. "What kind of questions?" Zer0 responded.

"Questions about you and D3m0n."

"Go ahead."

"First, how does D3m0n become free?"

"Whenever I get injured and bleed. D3m0n acts like my blood. The more serious the injury, the more D3m0n is released."

"So the first time when I shot you?"

"The two to the shoulder weren't much, but the one to the chest hit my lung."

"So how are you still alive?"

"Whenever D3m0n is free, my wounds heal at an accelerated rate. The only downside is D3m0n is still free."

"Alright, second question, how was Maya last night?"

Maya walked over to Axton and punched him in the arm. "What?" Axton laughed. "I had to ask after hearing you two all night." Maya felt her face turn red and she sat down next to Zer0. Zer0 took her hand and asked "What are we doing today?"

"Going to install the new core we got from Wilhelm. It should keep Sanctuary's shields charged for a while."

Maya saw Zer0 nod and lift his helmet to sip his coffee. Salvador announced over the ECHO "Installing the new core now!" The shields went down for a moment and then sprung back up. Suddenly the shields dropped and a moon blitz struck the city. "What the hell was that?" Roland shouted as he shot up. "Did something just get through the shield?"

Scooter shouted over the ECHO "Shield's down! Everyone better start getting underground!" The Vault Hunters ran outside to see moon shot blitzes striking the city. Lilith shouted "I got a really bad idea! Roland get me some Eridium!" Lilith ran towards the Sanctuary pillar while Roland ran back inside. "Start cycling the primers!" Scooter shouted.

Everyone ran towards a primer and Maya got to the second one. She flipped the switch and looked to Zer0 flipping his. He gave her a thumbs up, but then a blitz blew up next to him. Zer0 went flying and crashed into Pierce Station. Maya ran to him to see if he was okay.

She heard Roland shout for someone to get to him and Axton replied "I'll get to Roland! You get to Zer0!" She ran into the station to see Zer0 laying on the ground with an iron bar and glass stuck inside him. "Zer0!" Maya cried as she ran over to him. She rolled him over and he groaned "You need to get away from me."

She could see D3m0n's black ooze starting to seep out from the wounds. "You're going to be okay." Maya urged as she stood up. "Everything is going to be fine." She ran out of the station to Lilith and Axton. "We need to work fast." Maya barked. "D3m0n is about to be free." Lilith absorbed the Eridium and proclaimed "Hang on to something!"

There was a bright flash of purple light and Maya felt weightless. She regained her ability to see and found herself lying in grass. She looked up to see a large skull being used as an entrance to some kind of town. She saw Zer0 lying in the town with the iron bar still in his chest. She was going to run to him but she felt someone grab her and yank her aside.

She was going to scream, but a rough hand covered her mouth. "We can't let him know we're here." Axton whispered. Maya saw three bandits walk over to Zer0 and start kicking him. One reached down and yanked the bar from Zer0's chest. D3m0n's black ooze blasted out and covered Zer0's body.

D3m0n shot his arm forward and ripped open on of the bandit's chest. The others screamed and ran deeper into the town. D3m0n took full form and stood up. He looked around and sighed "Oh well. I can't make you suffer today Zer0, but I will be having some fun." D3m0n walked deeper into the town and Maya felt relief that he hadn't spotted them.

Axton let his hand go and apologized "I'm sorry you had to see that." Maya sighed "It's okay. He doesn't know we're here." Maya sat down and covered her ears to block out the sounds of the bandits screaming for mercy.

No real message today, just the name for the next chapter: Inner D3m0n.

-Chief